Christmas Picture Overload...part 1



This Christmas stuff is exhausting!



This was the best of many attempts!



Eliza and her cuz!





Christmas Eve Jammies!





Ella and her tree on Christmas morning!




Eliza and her tree!




Daddy reading the Christmas story from the Bible.  There was a lot going on!



Eliza preferred the gift bags!!



Eliza's gifts from mommy and daddy!




Ella's gifts from mommy and daddy!





We have two new cooks in the kitchen!!





My little Sweet pea!



My big girl!!



Merry Christmas Everybody!



It's here!!

Well, it is 11:10 on Christmas Eve and all my to-do's are finally done.  Well, actually that is not true because I came upstairs to quickly sew some cute little aprons (a project that I have been putting off) to add to the girls Christmas loot.  They are getting a new kitchen tom. and doesn't every cook need a apron?  Instead I am still procrastinating!!

We have had a wonderful week finishing up our Christmas traditions.  Sometimes I feel like I about kill us in our merry memory making.  Today our family delivered a ton of very special gifts to a family who is very in need this year.  Our sweet Sunday School Class was so giving and Kev, Ella, Eliza and I had the privilege of seeing the giving in action.  It broke our hearts as the mom who is 31 like me, was missing all of her front top teeth and wore the physical signs of a very hard life.  The dad must have thanked Kevin a million times as they unloaded the boxes.  Ella was very curious and asked a million questions about the kids and family.  I was so thankful that she got to be a part.  Last night as we were wrapping the gifts she was coloring.  When she was done she stacked her picture with the gifts and said, "Mommy this is for the kids that don't have."  I pray that we can teach our girls to be giving. 

Tonight we enjoyed a great Christmas Eve service and a wonderful dinner out with family and friends.  We drove around and saw a few more lights and headed home for the girls to unwrap their Christmas pj's  and get in bed.

I cannot wait to see their little faces in the morning. 

Thank you Jesus for coming, living, dying and walking through this earthly life with us.  Happy Birthday Jesus!!

Is Christmas really almost here?

I think I am setting a record this year with my lack of Christmas posts.  It has already been a very busy month despite my efforts for it not to be.  I am more behind in my shopping than I have ever been.  Seriously, I like to have things bought and some years even wrapped by Thanksgiving.  Not this year!!  I think since we've done some major cutting back in buying this year, it has left me confused or maybe just unmotivated. We also haven't "seen the lights", baked our cookies and goodies, wrapped a single gift, finished mailing my cards, or done the first advent activity with the girls like I wanted to do daily.  I guess that qualifies me as a bad mom.  Sometimes I can't seem to get it all done, and I am trying more and more to let some things go.

If you saw my downstairs hardwood floors this morning, after I cleaned it thoroughly yesterday...you'd know why some things you just can't keep the way you want them.  It really is disheartening...but it light of things not such a biggie and I know this is something the Lord is teaching me.

We had family photos made a few weeks ago and I love them.  It was such a fun and beautiful day spent together, that ended in a large scoop of peanut butter and choc. ice cream from Baskin Robbins!  Yum!

We had a blue balloon in honor of Samuel.  We knew two little girlies would be fighting for it so they got red ones too!



My little sweetie!





More fun and colorful bribes that resulted in Eliza's new found love of a sucker...and also a big mess!





Oh how I love those little girlies!

Hopefully next week we can finish up our shopping, baking, light seeing, and enjoy some lazy days at home together!  Hopefully!!!

Don't you ever grown up!!

Apparently, growing up is par for the course, which means today there are 31 candles on my cake.  How in the world did I get to 31?  I really feel about 24.  My twenties went so fast that I am hoping that my 30's will be slow.  I am guessing that won't happen either.  I am not a big Taylor Swift fan, but I heard this song this week for the first time and it left me in tears.  Probably because I have two little girls that I really wish would never grow up and because at times I wish I wouldn't either.  What would I give to be about 7 years old again, with not a care or responsibility in the world.

My Little Turkeys

I am catching up with posting some Thanksgiving pictures.   

 Ella is three years old and two months and Eliza is 14 months.  This really is a fun stage for both of them and is much, much, much easier than last year with a two year old and a newborn.  Ella is well....Ella.  She is full of life and fun!  She loves people, animals and is bossy!!  Oh my goodness, she is very into playing school right now and bosses poor Eliza to death.

 I hear at least 50 times a day..."Eliza, sit on your mat!"  She will turn anything into a mat and wants Eliza to sit there for the instruction!  I see a little teacher coming out of her and it makes me laugh!  I used to do the same thing to my poor little sister, Jess.  She has quite an imagination and loves to play!  She is a smartie and never forgets...anything!! 

 Eliza is still our little sweetie.  She is still tiny...growing at her own little pace!  She is generally very laid back and easy going....unless she is bossed too much and holy cow the little missy can wail!  When her feelings get hurt, it takes her a bit to recoup!  She is also quite the climber and fast!  We really have to keep our eyes on her.  She also loves to find an open potty!  Needless to say, we have learned to close the bathroom doors!

 Ella loves to go to Mother's Morning Out at our church, and Eliza loves to go and pick her up!  I love to see them get excited to be back together. 

 I love having two girls.  I love everything about it!  We do have some drama...which I am sure will only get worse as they grow. 

 Every night when I go into their rooms to check on them before bed, I feel their little tummies going up and down, with each breath and I thank the Lord for their precious little lives.

 I will never get over the blessing of having children to fill our home!

 And the amazing blessing of being a mother!

 I sure do love my little turkeys!

December

It is hard to believe that it is December!  December is such a busy, yet wonderful month!  I am going to try hard this year to slow down this month.  That will mean less time out in the hustle and bustle, maybe more Internet shopping rather than store shopping, more Christmas movie nights and family time, more driving around neighborhoods looking at lights, and most importantly more focus on Christ.  I am really challenging myself to spend more time in God's Word this month as I spend more time at home.

I have posted this poem in years past and dug it up because I just love it!  I have no clue where I found it or who wrote it, but I think I might just read it everyday!  Happy December!

CORINTHIANS 13 CHRISTMAS VERSION


If I decorate my house perfectly with plaid bows, strands of twinkling lights and shiny balls, but do not show love to my family, I'm just another decorator.

If I slave away in the kitchen, baking dozens of Christmas cookies, preparing gourmet meals and arranging a beautifully adorned table at mealtime, but do not show love to my family, I'm just another cook.

If I work at the soup kitchen, carol in the nursing home, and give all that I have to charity, but do not show love to my family, it profits me nothing.

If I trim the spruce with shimmering angels and crocheted snowflakes, attend a myriad of holiday parties and sing in the choir's cantata, but do not focus on Christ, I have missed the point.

Love stops the cooking to hug the child.

Love sets aside decorating to kiss the husband.

Love is kind, though harried and tired.

Love doesn't envy another's home that has coordinated Christmas china and table linens.

Love doesn't yell at the kids to get out of the way, but is thankful they are there to be in the way.

Love doesn't give only to those who are able to give in return but rejoices in giving to those who can't.

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.Love never fails.

Catching Up

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving full of family and yummy food.  We always do Thanksgiving with Kev's family around lunch and my family around dinner.  We spaced it out a little more this year and we all got a good nap, and were ready for round 2.  I always think of how blessed we are that we have the problem of getting to eat so much good food in one day.  What some might give to walk a day in my shoes. 

Kev has had 5 days off and it has been wonderful.  It seems like we are constantly in a go-go-go pace that we rarely have much down time.  We actually sat on our couches for a little bit and watched some TV.  I enjoy and appreciate his time at home more and more as the years go by. 

I shopped the crazy Black Friday sales at a time my of day that I only meet once a year, 4:15am.  My alarm was set to for 3:00am to be ready to meet my mom at 3:45.  Kev said he told me to get up, but obviously I didn't hear him because my mom called my cell phone at 3:45 and woke me up!  I did manage to get a few really good deals...but it is more of a tradition than anything.  It is part of our Thanksgiving and I look forward to it every year.

Friday night and Saturday we spent decorating our house for Christmas.  I love decorating for Christmas!!! I remember as a little girl, I always wanted to grow-up, live in a log cabin in the mountains and decorate my whole house for Christmas!  I do love the decorating but goodness gracious it is a lot of work and makes such a mess in the process.  I do love the outcome though! 

Hopefully I can get back to blogging and life can take a slower pace through December...at least I am hoping so!

A sacrifice of praise

Almost a year ago, a very well meaning Sunday School member made a comment during our Sunday School class that I have struggled with. This person was very well-meaning in what was said, but when it was said I just didn't agree. I have mulled over this thought often throughout the past year as we have encountered so many hurting people. The comment was something to the affect that from the stage or a praise team's perspective so many people look so....out of it, not happy, smiling, or like they are essentially praising God. I totally get what was meant being that we have a great, powerful, almighty God that is worthy of all our praise! The comment was meant to encourage others to realize who we are there for.

As I have thought about this comment it bothered me for a few reasons. One because I realize more and more as I get older and more involved in ministry, that the church is filled with broken and hurting people. People who are lost, people going through hard times, and people who are in need. It also bothered me because as I think upon my own life, the season in my life when I feel that my praise was the most authentic, most real, most honorable to God was at the times that I was completely broken.

I clearly remember my first Sunday back at church after having our Samuel and lying his precious little body deep down into the earth. I had empty hands, empty arms, and an empty heart. I couldn't even sing the songs with my mouth, but as I stood in the back of the church, with tears streaming down my face, I knew that my Saviour was honored with the song of my heart. I had nothing to bring other than the fact that I was completely in need and relying of Christ. That is what a sacrifice of praise really is, praising God despite the circumstances that are surrounding you.  This kind of praise not only strengthens your own faith, but honors God and blesses others. 

I think what churches need more of...rather than happy, smiling faces are genuine honest people who share in and walk together through the rough spots in life. 

I love the way this song by Amy Grant says it...."Better than a Hallelujah Sometimes."

Fair Fun!

 For the past few years my mom and dad have taken their local grand kids to the fair. This year my dad couldn't go due to having to conduct three funerals in one week (one of the hard parts of being a pastor) and so my sister and I tagged along. The traffic was crazy! It took us two hours to get there, which it normally only takes about 30 minutes. Thankfully, I had our tiny potty in the car because Ella would have never made it! We had a fun time and made some great memories. Thanks Mimi and Papa for being so sweet!